COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Age Five or Older 

COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Age Five or Older 

Maine residents age five or older can now get a COVID-19 vaccine. Until recently, the vaccine was only authorized for kids over age 12. 

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective for all ages five and older. For the newly eligible 5-11-year-olds, the Pfizer vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. With many children back in school and participating in extracurricular activities, vaccinating children ages five and older is critical to preventing infections and possible severe disease, as well as reducing COVID-19 transmission in the community. 

Please review the COVID-19 Vaccination Information for Youth Ages 5+ Sheet and Five Reasons to Vaccinate document for more information.

With cases of COVID-19 still running high, particularly in the Northeastern United States, getting your child vaccinated can help protect them from becoming severely ill, hospitalized, or having to deal with the side effects of long-haul COVID. Vaccination reduces disruptions to in-person learning and group activities by helping curb community transmission. We encourage individuals ages five or older to get the vaccine as soon as they can. To answer your questions about vaccines for your child, and about COVID-19 vaccines in general, please see the COVID-19 FAQ document. 

Scheduling Your Appointment

Currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been authorized by the FDA for use in youth ages 5-17. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires special handling, which means it is not available at every vaccination site in Maine. Visit the Maine COVID-19 webpage to find sites that are providing vaccines to youth ages 5-11 and/or ages 12-17. Your child’s school may also be offering COVID-19 vaccine at a school or community-based clinic. 

If you cannot access the website or need additional assistance to get an appointment, you can call the Maine COVID-19 Community Vaccination Line, which is available to help Maine people access information about vaccine clinics and book appointments. The Community Vaccination Line can also support Maine people who need interpretation assistance, help with transportation, are home bound, or have other questions about resources in their area. To reach the Community Vaccination Line, call 1-888-445-4111. Deaf or hard of hearing individuals can access the Community Vaccination Line by dialing 711 and requesting to be connected to 1-888-445-4111. 

Permission from a Parent or Guardian

Permission from a parent or guardian is required for individuals under age 18 to get the vaccine. Parents or guardians can give permission in two ways: 

1. By phone with a witness listening on the phone line, as arranged by the vaccination site.
2. By written consent on paper or electronically. 

Each vaccination site has a consent form. Follow the instructions for submitting the form provided by the vaccination site. Some individuals under age 18 may give their own consent for vaccination. For more information, please see the COVID-19 FAQ document. 

It is recommended, but not required, that a parent or guardian be present during vaccination. If DHHS is the legal guardian, the youth must be accompanied by a caseworker or resource parent, except at school-based vaccination clinics, where it is recommended, but not required, for a resource parent or caseworker to be present. For any questions, please contact the caseworker. 

If possible, youth should bring a form of identification to their appointment. If no documentation is available, parents or guardians can attest to the youth’s eligibility to receive the vaccine. 

Please review the COVID-19 Vaccination Information for Youth Ages 5+ Sheet and Five Reasons to Vaccinate found on our COVID-19 webpage to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and what to expect before, during, and after your appointment. See also the Maine COVID-19 webpage to find local COVID-19 testing or vaccine site.